1964 Chevy C10 Fleetside - True Blue Companion

We’d be exaggerating to say that Wylie Clough spent his whole life with this truck. After all, he was 5 years old when his dad, Joe, bought the 1964 C10 Fleetside. As he grew up, Wylie’s appreciation of the truck grew, as it also did of the automotive hobby, by watching car movies with his dad and cruising up and down Main Street in his hometown of Winters, Texas. He learned to drive in the truck—his dad teaching him how to shift the Muncie four-speed. When he was 16, the truck became his. It still wore the original green paint, and there were some rust spots in the sheetmetal and some rotting sections in the bed wood, but none of that prevented Old Green from creating some great memories for Wylie.

“This truck spent more time on dirt roads and trails than on pavement. It spent a lot of years as the everyday driver and work truck for our family. During the week it was used for everything from hauling wood to helping friends move. On the weekends it was transportation to the local lake or party. The truck also served as the jukebox for the party. It had a cheap tape deck with a booster and a pair of 6x9 speakers in the doors, but it blasted out plenty of classic rock.

“I loved Old Green and was proud to have it. If it broke down, I had to fix it. If I didn’t fix it, I didn’t have transportation. Its history is filled with plenty of mudding and donuts in farm fields, and I have many high school memories with friends racing Camaros and Mustangs. It looked like a farm truck, but ran fairly strong and would surprise people. I always dreamed of rebuilding it and building new memories to go with all the memories I already had.”

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The rebuild was delayed for a few years. Wylie’s mom stored the truck for him as life (including an Army career) rolled along. When he got started a few years ago, his mom’s husband, Steve, became his invaluable co-builder and Wylie’s wife Dominique became his patient supporter.

With the truck torn down to the bare frame, the ’rails were powdercoated. Wylie rebuilt the chassis with new tubular parts from Classic Performance Products, including front upper and lower control arms and 2½-inch drop spindles. Tubular trailing arms were added in the rear, where the original rearend still packs 3.73:1 gears. CPP shocks, airbags, and antisway bars at both ends sweeten the ride and improve handling. Airbags lower the truck 3 inches in the front, 4 inches at the rear.

The brakes were upgraded to keep up with the rest of the truck—and to stop it with no problem. CPP came through with front discs, master cylinder, power brake booster, and proportioning valve. The rear drums were rebuilt, and new lines were added throughout the system.

As the chassis was being redone, the body was stripped to bare metal and all emblems and mirrors were eliminated—and the fuel filler door, antenna hole, and stake holes were filled in. At House of Hotrods & Classics in Mansfield, Texas, sheetmetal wrinkles were removed, and painter Randy Mason replaced Old Green’s old green with new Dodge pearl blue paint covered with enough coats of clear to create a deep, reflective finish.

All glass and weatherstripping was replaced. Halogen headlights and blue dot taillights take care of forward and rearward illumination. Dickie Clough, Wylie’s uncle, built the bed floor, with new oak and stainless steel strips and hardware from Classic Parts of America. A CPP stainless fuel tank is located underneath.

The exterior makeover called for wheels and tires that looked just as good. It took Wylie a long time to find the right combination. The 18-inch six-lug Lakester wheels, custom built by Circle Racing Wheels, look just right on the ’64, especially when rolling on wide high-performance tires, like these Z-rated 275/40R18 and 245/45R18 Falken FK452 radials.

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With the truck back in one piece, it was time to replace the faithful 350 with a fresh version. Phoenix Racing Engines had the perfect replacement. This 350 was built with a Speed-Pro cam and makes a little more than 1 horsepower per cubic inch—with enough chromed and polished parts to be visible from outer space. Aluminum valve covers top a pair of first-generation Vortec heads. The chrome air cleaner covers a 750-cfm Edelbrock carburetor on a Power Plus polished high-rise manifold. The visual impression is continued with a March Performance serpentine pulley system. A Champion aluminum radiator and an electric fan keep the small-block running cool. Exhaust is carried through a pair of shorty headers and 2½-inch pipes to Flowmaster mufflers.

The rebuilt four-speed Muncie was assembled by Wylie and uses a Centerforce clutch and Hurst shifter. It’s familiar territory for Wylie, who learned to drive the truck with a Muncie almost 30 years ago.

The interior is as impressive as the exterior—no surprise, since it also was finished at House of Hotrods. Two-tone tan leather was used to upholster the original bench seat and door panels. Large loop carpet was laid on the floor. Instead of modifying the stock dash for a tachometer, Wylie monitors rpms from a below-dash Auto Meter tach. The Vintage Air A/C system keeps the cab cool even on the hottest Texas days. A polished ididit tilt column connects a three-spoke Grant steering wheel to the Saginaw box keeping the truck on course. The soundtrack is provided by a Kenwood BT652 head unit and JL Audio amp with speakers, installed at Hot of Hotrods.

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It took Wylie four years to finish the rebuild (delayed by two tours in Afghanistan). Now that the work is done, the C10 that used to fly along dirt roads and do donuts in farm fields is just as likely to be rolling into a winners’ circle at a show. But it’s driven there and it’s driven home. “It’s no trailer queen,” Wylie promises. And despite the blue pearl paint, we suspect that Wylie’s C10 is still Old Green at heart. “Every time I drive her I feel like I’m traveling back to my earlier days. There are times when I’m still 8 years old, riding in the bed with my dog as we head to the lake. Other times, I’m 17 again, getting ready to make a pass down the quarter-mile at Wall Dragway near San Angelo.”

Wylie’s got a lot of memories like that, and with his ’64 C10 back on the road, he’s got a lot of memories still waiting to be made.